Relay switch

ABSTRACT

A relay switch comprising an electromagnet, which can shift the contact of a movable conductor plate or switch arm from engagement with one stationary contact to another stationary contact and can maintain the electrical contact of the conductor plate with the selected stationary contact even after the deenergization of the electromagnet, the movement of said conductor plate being controlled by an actuating member which is movable under the influence of momentary magnetization of the electromagnet to either one of two positions where the conductor plate keeps its electrical contact with either one of the stationary contacts.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,723,923 Suzuki 51 Mar. 27, 1973 [54] RELAY SWITCH 2,811,602 10 1957 Rommel etal. ..335/85 1,250,152 12/1917 Eisenmannm. ....335/81 [75] Invent Japan 3,115,562 12/1963 Robinson ..335/97 [73] Assignee: Kabushiki-Kaisha Tokai rika Denki Seisakusho, Aichiken, Japan Primary Examiner-Har0ld Broome Filed Dec 15 1971 Attorney-B. Edward Shlesinger et al.

[21] Appl. No.: 208,158 [57] ABSTRACT A relay switch comprising an electromagnet, which [30] Foreign Application Priority D t can shift the contact of a movable conductor plate or switch arm from engagement with one stationary con DCC 2l,1970 .lllapan tact to another Stationary Contact and can maintain 2L 1970 apan 5/1287 1 the electrical contact of the conductor plate with the selected stationary contact even after the deenergiza- [g2] }LS.CCII. ..335l/l801l,h32i/g; on of the electromagnet, the movement of said com i 83 85 ductor plate being controlled by an actuating member 1 0 can I which is movable under the influence of momentary 1 magnetization of the electromagnet to either one of [56] References cued two positions where the conductor plate keeps its UNITED STATES PATENTS electrical contact with either one of the stationary contacts. 2,997,560 8/1961 Callaway ..335/83 3,030,469 4/1962 Lazich ..335/81 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures P IE Enmzmzs I 3.7221923 INVENTOR Ma 8a ru 0 a RELAY SWITCH This invention relates to a relay switch of the selfholding type. And, more particularly, it relates to a relay switch which comprises: an electromagnet having at least one stationary core and a pair of exciting windings surrounding said core, either one of said windings being connected to an electric source via respective energizing circuits that are selectively energized by actuating an electric switch in the corresponding energizing circuit for magnetizing the core; an actuating member swingable to either one of two positions under the influence of the magnetization of the core; and a conductor plate or switch arm swingable in consequence of the swinging movement of the actuating member to effect its electric contact with either one of two stationary contacts, said electric contact with one of the stationary contacts being maintained even after the deactuation of the electric switch and until another electric switch in the other energizing circuit is actuated so as to energize another exciting winding and to momentarily magnetize the core for swinging the actuating member to another position and consequently for changing the electric contact of the conductor plate to the other stationary contact.

An object of the present invention is to provide a relay switch of the type in which the change of polarity of an electromagnet by a momentary operation of a switch can control the-swingable movement of an actuating member and the closing and opening of electric contacts actuated by said actuating member, the electric contacts thus closed or opened being maintained as they are until a subsequent change of polarity of magnetization of electromagnet is made. 7

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the drawing and the description hereinafter given. 7

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a sectional and diagrammatic view illustrating a switch made according to one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a similar view illustratinga modified form of switch made according to the invention.

Now, with reference to FIG. 1 which illustrates a relay switch in accordance with the present invention comprises an electromagnet 5 consisting of a solenoid bobbin 1 having differential windings 2a and 2b each wound on the bobbin in a helical direction reverse to each other, and a stationary core 3 of highly permeable soft iron or steel which is fixed in the center of the bobbin. The upper end of said core 3 projects outwardly from the upper surface of bobbin and is provided with an inwardly curved surface 4, the center of curvature of which is on the axis of a shaft 6 which shall explained more in detail below. An actuating plate 7 which is swingable about the aforementioned shaft 6 has an outwardly curved surface 9, the curvature of which corresponds to that of surface 4 of the core 3, and which faces against said surface 4 with a slight air gap S. Said which is different. In the upper end of actuating plate 7, which is opposite to the surface 9, there is provided a blind hole 11 which extends towards the shaft 6, and in which a steel ball 13 is accommodated so as to resiliently project from the open end of hole 11 by under urging of a spring 12 contained in the hole.

A movable'conductor plate or switch arm 15, which is supported at its center by a conductor 14 so that both free ends thereof are swingable about said center, engages at its bottom surface with the steel ball of actuating plate 7. The movable conductor plate 15 has on the upper surface at both its ends contacts 16 and 17. Terminal plates 18 and 19 have stationary contacts 20 and 21 which are engageable by the corresponding movable contacts 16 and 17 respectively. Energizing circuits 23a and 23b are respectively connected to the windings 2a and 2b. Switches 24 and 25 are respectively in the circuits 23a and 23b.

when said core 3 is magnetized to N, its outer surface attracts the S-polarity portion of permanent magnet 10 of the actuating plate 7, thus resulting in having the actuating plate swung into the position illustrated in FIG. 1, whereby the steel ball 13 moves towards the rightside of the conductor 14 and the conductor plate 15 swings as illustrated in the drawing. Thereby, the movable'contact 17 comes into contact with the stationary contact 21. This actuated position remains as it is, until the winding 2b is energized. When the winding 2b is energized by closing the switch 25, the core 3 and its outer curved surface 4 are magnetized to polarity S, whereby said surface repulses the S-polarity portion of permanent magnet 10 of the actuating plate and attracts the N-polarity resulting in the actuating plate being swung counterclockwise in the drawing. Concurrently with the swinging of the actuating plate, the steel ball 13 shifts to the left of the supporting conductor 14 and the resilient conductor plate 15 turns so that its contact 16 comes into contact with the corresponding stationary contact 20. This position remains as it is even after the switch 25 is opened, because the steel ball 13 resiliently presses the conductor plate underneath the contact 16 and holds the contact between the stationary and movable contacts 16 and 20.

As explained above, the swinging of the actuating plate which causes the closing and opening operation of the movable and stationary contacts, is electromagnetically controlled by an electromagnet provided with differential windings which reverse the, polarity of the core of the electromagnet. Hence, it might be said as an advantageous point of the present invention, that a momentary energization of one of the windings 2a or 2b through the operation of switch 24 or 25 can change the engagement of switch arm 15 from one to the other of contacts 20 and 21, and that the actuating plate or arm 15 once actuated to one of thecontacting positions can positively remain at said position.

Secondly, referring to FIG. 2 which illustrates another embodiment of the present invention and in which parts and elements identical or corresponding to those of FIG. 1 are indicated by identical numerals as those of FIG. 1; actuating plate 7 in this embodiment has a rod'like configuration, different from the first embodiment in which the swingable actuating plate is rather discoid. Said actuating plate 7' is swingably pivoted on a shaft 6', and the upper free end thereof is swingable within an air gap formed between the legs a, 5b of an electromagnet of the horseshoe type which comprises cores 3a and 3b and exciting windings 2a and 2b respectively surrounding the cores 3a and 3b. Since all other parts and constructions and their functions are the same as those explained above with reference to FIG. 1 which illustrates the first embodiment of the present invention, their explanations are omitted.

The relay switch of the second embodiment operates as follows.

When one of cores 3a, 3b is magnetized by flowing the current to the corresponding windings 2a or 2b by momentarily closing the corresponding switch 24 or 25 of energizing circuits 23a or 23b, the free end of the magnetized core together with the free end of the other core, attracts the upper part of actuating plate 7'. Thus actuating plate 7' closes one of the two pairs of movable and stationary contacts 16, and 17, 21, and keeps these contacts closed, as explained in the description of the first embodiment. The position of ac tuating plate 7' in FIG. 2 is that taken by the actuating plate either when the winding 2a is energized and core 3a is magnetized, or after they have been energized and magnetized. It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that the actuating plate 7. remainsat the position shown in FIG. 2 until the switch is operated so as to 'magnetize the other core 3b through the energization of winding 2b.

The advantageous points of the present invention,

2 which are common to both the first and second embodiments, lie in that the closing and opening operation of selected contacts,.and the holding of the thus closed or opened contacts in their operated positions, are attained by simply supplying a momentary single pulse of current to one of two windings surrounding a core(s) which, operate an actuating plate, and further, that different from conventional self-holding type relay switch, mechanical connecting mechanisms are largely eliminated, thus resulting in enabling making the coneach of said energizing circuits being selectively and I momentarily energizable. by actuating anormally open electric switch in the corresponding energiz- I ing circuit,

an actuating member swingable selectively to either one of two positions under .the influence of the magnetization of the core,

yieldable means mounted on said member and operative to maintain said member in the position to which it is swung by said magnetization, even after the termination of said magnetization, and

at least one electrically conductive switch arm movable in consequence of the swinging movement of the actuating member to effect electric contact of said arm with either one of two stationary contacts, said electric contact of said arm with either of the stationary contacts also being maintained by said yieldable means even after opening of said electric switch and until the other electric switch in the other energizing circuit is actuated so as to energize the other exciting winding and to momentarily magnetize the core for swinging the actuating member to its other position and consequently to move the switch arm into electrical contact with the other stationary contact.

2. A relay switch as claimed in claim 1, in which said exciting windings are differential windings which surround said one stationary core, said core being made of highly permeable soft iron,

said actuating member is mounted to face one end of said core and has thereon a permanent magnet portions of which have two different polarities, and

a change of polarity of magnetization of the core is effected by the alternate energization of said windings, and effects alternate repulsion and attraction of said permanent magnet resulting in changing the engagement of said switch arm from one to the other stationary contact.

3. A relay switch as claimed in claim 1, in which said electromagnet is of the horseshoe type comprising two stationary cores having a gap between confronting ends thereof,

each of said cores is surrounded by one of said exciting windings, and

part of said actuating member lies in said gap, whereby the magnetization of either one of the cores attracts the actuating member towards the magnetized core, resulting in changing the engagement-of said switch arm from one to the other stationary contact. 

1. A relay switch which comprises an electromagnet having at least one stationary core and a pair of exciting windings, a pair of energizing circuits for selectively connecting either one of said windings to an electric source to magnetize said core, each of said energizing circuits being selectively and momentarily energizable by actuating anormally open electric switch in the corresponding energizing circuit, an actuating member swingable selectively to either one of two positions under the influence of the magnetization of the core, yieldable means mounted on said member and operative to maintain said member in the position to which it is swung by said magnetization, even after the termination of said magnetization, and at least one electrically conductive switch arm movable in consequence of the swinging movement of the actuating member to effect electric contact of said arm with either one of two stationary contacts, said electric contact of said arm with either of the stationary contacts also being maintained by said yieldable means even after opening of said electric switch and until the other electric switch in the other energizing circuit is actuated so as to energize the other exciting winding and to momentarily magnetize the core for swinging the actuating member to its other position and consequently to move the switch arm into electrical contact with thE other stationary contact.
 2. A relay switch as claimed in claim 1, in which said exciting windings are differential windings which surround said one stationary core, said core being made of highly permeable soft iron, said actuating member is mounted to face one end of said core and has thereon a permanent magnet portions of which have two different polarities, and a change of polarity of magnetization of the core is effected by the alternate energization of said windings, and effects alternate repulsion and attraction of said permanent magnet resulting in changing the engagement of said switch arm from one to the other stationary contact.
 3. A relay switch as claimed in claim 1, in which said electromagnet is of the horseshoe type comprising two stationary cores having a gap between confronting ends thereof, each of said cores is surrounded by one of said exciting windings, and part of said actuating member lies in said gap, whereby the magnetization of either one of the cores attracts the actuating member towards the magnetized core, resulting in changing the engagement of said switch arm from one to the other stationary contact. 